Chocolate Birthday Cake

Chocolate Buttercream Frosting
A Baked By Jen Original
Makes enough to frost a 2-layer 8-inch cake

3 sticks unsalted butter, room temperature
6 cups powdered sugar
1/2 cup cocoa powder
2 teaspoon vanilla extract
1-2 tablespoons milk

Beat butter in mixer on low to medium speeds until creamy.

Sift into the bowl powdered sugar and cocoa powder.

Resume mixing at low to medium speeds, stoping to scrape down the bowl occasionally, until incorporated.

Stir in vanilla extract.

Stir in enough milk until desired consistency is reached.

Flower Pot Cakes for Mother's Day

I worked on two cakes this week, one for my Mom and one for my boyfriend's Mom for Mother's day.

Both cakes are chocolate cakes with chocolate buttercream frosting covered and decorated with marshmallow fondant.  The "soil" on the cakes is a mix of crumbled chocolate cake and vanilla cake which my boyfriend suggested; how ingenious!

I only let the fondant flowers dry out for a few hours but I suggest allowing them to dry over night in flower formers or egg cartons to avoid looking so flat.  Also, I wrapped the cake vertically in fondant which I noticed later caused a lot of sagging.  Next time, I would cover the cake upside down in fondant then flip it right side up.

Mom's Birthday Cake

Sources: Yellow/Chocolate Cake and Chocolate Butter Frosting from Better Homes and Garden New Cook Book